Suncheon National University Opens Course 'First Steps in Namdo Studies: Walking Along the Namdo Trail'

Institute of Humanities, Namdo Literature, Arts, History, and Philosophy

Suncheon National University (President Lee Byung-woon) Humanities Institute is organizing the 2023 Provincial Happiness University lecture series, hosted and sponsored by the Jeonnam Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Institute, starting from August 1.

The lectures will begin on August 30 with a talk by Ko Seok-gyu, former president of the Jeonnam Talent Lifelong Education Promotion Institute (and former president of Mokpo National University), titled "Overview of Namdo: The Best Jeonnam in Korean History," and will introduce the literature, arts, history, and philosophy of the Namdo region every Wednesday until November.

[Image courtesy of Suncheon National University]

This year, the program plans to cover Namdo’s “culture and arts” more richly compared to previous years.

Professor Kim Yong-chan (Department of Korean Language Education, Suncheon National University) will focus on Byeokso Lee Young-min, who is not well known despite his importance, to explore the culture of Suncheon during the Japanese colonial period. Professor Choi Hyun-joo (Department of Korean Language Education, Suncheon National University) will introduce the literary worlds of Lee Cheong-jun and Song Ki-sook.

Professor Jeon In-sam (Department of Korean Traditional Music, Chonnam National University) will guide the world of Namdo pansori with a designated national intangible cultural asset holder of pansori “Heungboga,” No. 5, while Professor Kim Hyun-kyung (Department of Fashion Design, Dongduk Women’s University) will introduce the art world of Suhwa Kim Hwan-gi, a representative modern Korean painter, in connection with the Namdo art scene.

Film director Kim Young-nam (Department of Creative Writing, Suncheon National University), winner of the 2007 Taipei International Film Festival, will showcase the Namdo film world through “Seopyeonje” and “Myeongnyang.”

At the same time, traditional Namdo philosophy and modern history will be explored in depth.

Director Eom Yeon-seok of the Taedong Classical Research Institute (formerly Jigok Seodang), a leading research institute in Korean classical Chinese studies and education, will reexamine the Neo-Confucian thought of Han Hwon-dang Kim Gung-pil, a central figure in the Joseon Dynasty intellectual world, and the text Sohak from a modern perspective.

Professor Lee Jeong-eun (Department of History, Suncheon National University), the only Jeonnam scholar specializing in modern Korean history, will comprehensively illuminate the Yeosu-Suncheon 10.19 Incident within the context of modern Korean history, while Director Kang Sung-ho (Humanities Institute, Suncheon National University) will newly introduce the history of the Suncheon Missionary Office focusing on Christian modern architectural heritage.

This year, programs that allow local residents to “walk together” to help deepen understanding of the Namdo region have also been strengthened.

The “Walking Together” program aims to listen to local voices, watch films that fully capture the region’s history and culture, and find love and sorrow in the paintings of local artists.

Professors Park Gil-hee (Institute of Liberal Education, Suncheon National University) and Kim Do-gyun (Department of Landscape Architecture, Suncheon National University) will each lead “Walking Together” field trips along Namdo “paths.”

Through the “Walking Together” field trips, participants will have the opportunity to explore traditional Korean gardens such as Damyang’s “Myeonangjeong” and “Soswaewon” with experts, making the Namdo Studies lectures even more enriching.

The 2023 Namdo Studies lectures will recruit 40 students on a first-come, first-served basis, targeting Jeonnam residents, and the tuition is free.

Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Heo Seon-sik hss79@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.